Stand By You
by supersdude
Summary: How the last scene between Ben and Vestara SHOULD have gone. Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse spoilers.


**A/N:** This is my idea of how the final scene with Ben and Vestara getting rescued **_should_ **have gone. If you read my other Ben/Ves story then you know my thoughts on that but I'll leave any rambling for the end. as always this is a **SPOILER ALERT** if you haven't read the fate of the jedi series and wish to do so. Otherwise carry on (:

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my creative spin on the story.

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Vestara and Ben looked up from the courtyard to see the _Rude Awakening _circling in orbit above them. Considering what they had just been through it was like seeing water after hiking through the desert. They were going to make it out of here together and alive…that is if the ship decided to set down on the ground anytime soon.

"What's taking so long?" Vestara asked as her gaze locked on the ship as if willing it to come down. Her arm was around Ben, holding him tightly while his other arm was thrown around her neck for support. "Can't your people see that you need medical attention?"

Ben looked over to her, taking her in with one good eye and the other swollen so that his vision was blurred. Truth be told they both needed a fair amount of medical attention. "We both do" he corrected her as they hobbled towards the center of the courtyard. "You aren't exactly a sight for sore eyes."

"Thanks a lot, next time I won't mess up my hair saving you" she retorted, a grin playing on her lips.

"Didn't I save you? That's the way I remember it at least" a smirk crossed his features as he looked at the woman he loved. Even battered and bruised she was the most beautiful thing he had seen, and most importantly she was alive.

Before she could reply to his remark, Vestara noticed the ship growing closer out of the corner of her eye. Her grin slowly faded as her mind started to remember the events that would come to pass. She had attempted to kill Allana, and there was a high chance whoever was on that ship was aware of this. Quickly she started weighing her options.

"Ben."

Blue eyes turned on her as she stopped their movement, his half-smile still showing as he didn't comprehend that she was about to tell him something serious. "I have to tell you something. Something about when I was with the Sith in the Temple."

For a moment Ben's smirk faded, sensing the shift in her demeanor. "Ves, it's okay. I know you only acted with them to try and save me. You were in just -"

"Ben just let me finish! I don't have much time" she glanced up at the sky again before back to the red-haired boy, satisfied that she had shut him up. "When you left down the freight tunnel I was able to get away from the Sith. I thought they'd just go after your group but they chased me too, lots of them. I guess now I know it was because Abeloth wanted me for her plan.." she paused for a moment but didn't dwell on it. "I was following the emergency access tunnel but when I finally got there it wouldn't open because someone was in the hangar bay. The Sith cornered me at the top of the hatch, I couldn't go anywhere until it opened."

"So that's how they captured you?" Ben inquired, trying to guess where it was going.

Vestara shook her head and carried on, "I tried to talk my way out of it, stall them until the hatch opened. So I made them believe I had valuable information, that knocking me out would be bad…So I told them the identity of the JedI Queen."

Ben suddenly stood up straight, looking her in the eyes with disbelief. He was shocked for multiple reasons. How did she figure out the supposed Jedi Queen's identity and second the fact that she told the Sith! Taking advantage of his silence Vestara carried on and Ben felt his stomach twist in knots when he found out this wasn't the end of the story.

"I convinced them that I was still an undercover Sith working to kill the Jedi Queen and when the hatch opened…the _Millenium Falcon _was parked in the hangar bay. I don't know what it was doing there I swear, but when the Sith saw Allana and your Aunt stepping out of the ship they handed me a thermo detonator. I didn't have a choice Ben" at this point tears were practically streaming down the young Khai's face. He had only witnessed her breakdown once, but never like this and in broad daylight.

"You _always_ have a choice, Ves!" his tone was not angry or condescending but instead a bit sad, "That's what I've been trying to teach you. As a Jedi, you always have a choice."

"But I'm not a Jedi, Ben! It could never work out. When it comes to life or death I'm always going to do what's best for me. I'll always make the Sith choice" Vestara cried as if trying to get him to understand.

He felt more hurt by the news that she didn't think she could be a Jedi than the news of her attack. He had no doubts about her story, and that she had essentially chosen the wrong side of an ultimatum. While he couldn't agree with or condone the actions she took in the slightest, he also couldn't condemn her knowing the full situation. He couldn't condemn the woman he loved, the woman who had just_ saved his life._

"That's not true, Ves" he said, his voice soft as he brushed aside her wet hair from her forehead. "In there you made a choice. When I was thrown against the wall, you could have drank from the Font of Power. You could have given in to Abeloth and survived but you continued to fight. You made a _choice. _One that wasn't in your best interest and one you didn't have to make. You saved my life Vestara Khai."

A silence rose over them as he held her gaze best he could, reaching up with one arm he wiped away the tears that had streamed down her cheeks. He could hear the growl of the thrusters growing closer and he knew they didn't have much time. Whatever they decided though, Ben wasn't going to let her run away nor be taken away.

"The others…they aren't going to agree with you. They'll probably want to lock me away or worse" her words were quieter as she looked up at his bruised and blooded face.

"Then they'll have to do the same to me" he replied firmly. "I love you Vestara Khai, more than you can love someone. You saved my life and that's something I can never repay and if I have to suffer at the hands of the Order to protect you then so be it."

Vestera was quiet for a moment but Ben could feel her presence swelling in the force. Without saying a word she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his. She threw all the passion and emotion into the kiss, trying to send the him words she couldn't seem to form. After a few moments of staying in their embrace Vestara pulled away, "I didn't save you so you would owe me you know"

Ben smiled broadly and nodded, "I know. And that's why you're not a Sith."

Taking her hand in his, they turned to face the _Rude Awakening _as it set down in the courtyard. No matter what came after they stepped onto that ship Vestara knew that she wouldn't be facing it alone.

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**A/N**: IF ONLY! Although the books didn't end like that I really wish they had. Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed reading it. While I know parts of this may not have been practical I honestly think if she told Ben the true situation it would have been different, instead of him just thinking it was an ambush. The author made it too black and white. She's sith, he's jedi. She did a bad thing with that grenade and there's no redemption for it. Ignoring the fact that

a)she was facing an ultimatum at that time.

b) these were supposedly two people who were ridiculously in love, and he's just going to turn on her without hearing it from her point of view?

c)she just helped rid the galaxy of one of the most evil creatures it's ever seen! Half of the people in the Jedi order have done worse than what she tried to do. If Luke can forgive them and Darth Vader for all the billions he killed, then I'm sure there could have been some pardon for her attempted "ambush" that wasn't really an ambush.

d)Jysella_ saw _Vestara running in the underground and Rowdy confirmed she was **running for her life**, clearly not leading an ambush. They should have been able to piece together that something had gone wrong between then and the hangar explosion.

Yet the author completely ignored all these facts simply to satisfy his story and the ending he wanted. It's frustrating and definitely disappointing as a fan of not only Vestara but Ben/Vestara.

I'll end my rant there and hope that i've convinced you =) but most importantly I hope that you've enjoyed my story (: feel free to pm me anytime and review! this was meant to be a one-shot but who knows, maybe i'll get muse to add another one day.


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